French Open: Bouchard to face her idol Sharapova in semis today

Paris: Canada's Eugenie Bouchard will bid for a first ever appearance in a Grand Slam final when she takes on childhood idol Maria Sharapova in the French Open semi-finals on Thursday.

Maria Sharapova and Eugenie Bouchard

Idol opponentThe 20-year-old from Montreal, who is the first Canadian woman to make the semi-finals in Paris, admits she used to look up to her Russian opponent. "I have a picture with her when I was I think seven or eight years old.

I guess that would be the first time (they met). I think it was in Miami," said the bilingual blonde about the photo that has been circulating on social media.

The photo shows a shy Bouchard, in a blue T-shirt and shorts, being dwarfed by a 15-year-old Sharapova who is dressed in a prim white tennis dress.